This ornate needle case is carved with beautiful detail and it has a lovely old patina and grain pattern. It's decorated with birds, butterflies and a twinging dragon on a ground of clouds. The top and bottom are in the form of sunflowers. It was carved in China in the early 19th century for an English workbox.
Aside fron a couple of tiny and very fine age cracks in the ivory, the condition is excellent with no chips or loss and it screws together perfectly. It measures 3 3/4" long. This style of needlecase is shown on p. 84 of Nerylla Taunton's book Antique Needlework Tools....$145.00

This antique needle book is carved of ivory and decorated on both sides with pierced peony designs. It has a lovely old patina and natural grain pattern. It's lined with the original red silk and has 2 finely woven wool flannel needle "pages" inside. It was probably carved in China for English export.
The front has a chip at the lower right corner, but the condition of the ivory is otherwise excellent. It dates to the early 19th century and measures 3 1/2" by 2"....$220.00

These fabulous sewing scissors are often seen in silver but this is the only pair I've ever seen with gold handles. They are marked "9", ".375" and have the English hallmarks for Birmingham 1887. The ornate shanks and bows have scrolling floral designs with pierced latticework at the top.
The condition is excellent and they measure 5 7/8" long. The gold has no dents, splits, repairs or other damage. The steel blades are tight with the original sharp points and they cut well. There's no rust and the blades have most of their original polished surface. The postage shown includes Registered shipping for non US addresses and insured shippin...$475.00

This wonderful needlecase is made of Pinchbeck or ormolu. It's not just gilded but is gold metal all the way through. It's in the form of a quiver of arrows and decorated with scrolls and great details over a frosted ground. The condition is excellent with no damage and it dates from 1770-1790. Inside is a matching bodkin with an earspoon at the top.
The color is gorgeous and vibrant. It's heavy and solid and measures 3 1/8" long. Bridget McConnel has information on Pinchbeck on p. 37 of her book The Story of Antique Needlework Tools and on p. 59 she shows some chatelaine needle cases of the same material and age as this one....$0.00

This wonderful antique piece is one that has been in my collection for years. It's carved of agate with a wide and beautifully painted or enameled silver gilt collar. The silver is hand engraved with scrolls and flowers and set with 10 cabochon turquoises. It has no marks but tests 800 silver.
The condition is excellent with no chips or cracks to the agate and no dents or other damage to the silver. It measures 3 3/4" long. The style looks Italian to me and early pieces like this were seldom marked there....$0.00

This antique needle or bodkin case is carved of bone and set all around the top with cabochon turquoises. The top is carved with a shell thumb piece and it slides back to access the needles. The top is delicately pierced and is inlaid with 3 flower like steel spangles. It's French, dating to the early 19th century.
Aside from a small hairline crack at the end of the top away from the thumbpiece, the condition is excellent with no chips, cracks or other damage and it slides easily. It measures 3" long and has a nice old patina. A needle case of this style is shown on p. 89 of Nerylla Taunton's book Antique Needlework Tools....$0.00